Time Trek
by Ariennye Dhivae Argelia
Summary: The USS Argo, Federation Starship, is experimenting a new warp system... It permits the crew to travel in time... But Federation doesn't want any more accidents. How can Captain Hobbs manage that? Please R and R!
1. The First Mission

Time Trek: The First Mission

"... And we're proud to see that the last researches about the Warp core and Hysolinears modules let us explore the infinite frontiers of the furthermost future or the final past! Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to explain what kind of... emotion, what kind of inexplicable feeling gives the very idea of being able of controlling the time! The Time... our present... our past... our future... the only reality we can always trust in... I assure you that, from this time forward, the Federation's men will travel in time using Warp 15!" the expression on professor Hobbs' face changed from enthusiastic to deluded. He looked back, to the Vulcan that was sitting near him, on a wooden chair. She rose her eyebrows, impassive. Hobbs was clearly deluded, deeply deluded by the reaction of the people that were listening to him. Someone laughed, someone looked at him believing him mad, or something very similar to. Anyway, the conference room was full of people. What a joy.  
"I mean that!" Hobbs continued "Any question? I'll answer to anyone"  
A man rose his hand. "Why all the spacecrafts of the Federation with a Warp-15 core exploded?" the man asked.  
Hobbs shook his head and impatiently waved his notepad "They didn't have the mark-out technology! This consists in evaluating when the Warp core reaches Warp 15 and stop immediately any motor activity"  
"But in this way..." a young lady stood up, "... In this way we can have only one little leap at warp 15, or not"  
"Yes. But do not forget that the Warp core can give all the power we need for infinite - sorry, theorically infinite leaps." Hobbs explained, "I hope this topic has been interesting to you"  
-  
"Why don't they believe me? Or, worse, why do they believe me mad?" Steven Hobbs asked the young Vulcan, while they walked through the corridors of StarBase 92.  
"I think it's a matter of faith, captain." the Vulcan officer Aira Kell answered.  
"Faith." Hobbs reasoned about this word, "Faith. People have faith, normally, in science, I noticed. We're in the age of Space exploration from StarDate 2063. And now we are in stardate 5021.6. We're in contact with a huge number of alien races. And I can't even understand humans, Kell!" the captain stopped walking for a while.  
"There's a thing I discovered about faith, sir." Kell explained, calmly, expressionless, "It's based mostly on knowing the person. When a human knows very well another human, he has faith on the other"  
"Very logical deduction, Kell." Hobbs exclaimed, only half joking.  
"Thank you, sir." she said.  
"But humans aren't logical, Number One." the captain remarked.  
-  
Argo: a mythologic and prophetic name. The Argo was an Avenger class SpaceCraft, the only one in this class of ships. His mission was to explore the outer Space, going more in the deepest regions then any other SpaceCraft. In fact, his structure was slim and little, but with the most powerful Warp core in the Fleet. Only ten members in the crew.  
When the captain, Hobbs, entered the helm, followed by his first officer, Kell, the second officer, the android Nex, gived him the report about all sections.  
"There is a spoil in the core, Sir. We cannot use auxiliar energy." the android explained.  
"A spoil?" Hobbs seemed very surprised by this event, "What kind of spoil, Nex"  
"Very strange and... unexpected, sir. The tube connection between the core and the auxiliary energy is broken." Nex answered.  
"Without auxiliar energy, we cannot have full power from the Warp core. Only warp eight. I want all the officers in main briefing room... in two minutes"  
Nex nodded, "Aye, sir"  
-  
There were all the officers: chief medical, chief engineering, first and second officer, and languages expert. Five officers, the captain, and four assistants were the only members of the Argo's crew.  
"Captain, I don't understand why you called us all in briefing room. I think the spoil in the core has been repaired properly" said Tomak, a young Romulan ensign, but already chief of engineering. He smiled, observing the captain's concern: as a Romulan, he didn't approach, or even went nearly cold-bloodlyness.  
"Ensign, I'd like to talk you about another project, that concerns engineering, but the other officers, too." Hobbs stood up and switched on the Briefing screen, "Tomak, I want you to modify the Warp core with the mark-out technology, which I worked on, and transform it in a Warp-15 core"  
The smile evanished by Tomak's face. He looked at the first officer, then at doctor Jono Lamar, a Betazoid, searching for an answer. The captain knew what he was saying? Modifying a warp core without asking for a confirm by the Federation would have been... logical?  
"Sir, I... i think we must ask... to the Federation, and... Maybe they have more qualified engineers to do that, Sir, I..." Tomak looked again to the other officers, but they seemed really frozen.  
Only Nex talked, "I think ensign Tomak is right, sir. Captain, why do you want him to do this before asking to the Federation"  
Tomak had the maximum respect for the captain's theories. He examinated them many times, and, personally, he thought they were perfect.  
"I asked the Federation. They didn't authorize me." Hobbs answered, sitting down again, and looking at the smooth surface of the table.  
"What?" Tomak said, calmly. But even the android Nex guessed that he was forcing himself to stay calm, "Captain, you know, I think that your theories are the only hope for Time Travelling without any risk"  
"Anyway, Sir, we cannot violate a direct order." doctor Lamar said. Aira Kell nodded.  
"Then, ensign? I want you to decide." Hobbs exclaimed.  
"I worked here ten years. As your chief of engineering, sir. I will modify the core." Tomak responded.  
"Tomak! Think about what you're doing!" doctor Lamar remarked.  
"I think he's right, indeed." for the first time in this briefing the languages expert gived her opinion. Sarah Bennett was the gratest expert of alien languages in all the Federation, a human. "We have to support the captain's project. The chief of engineering worked on it, and he said it's all right"  
"Yes, but, suppose that something goes wrong the first time we use this fantastic core. The Federation will know that we're doing that kind of experiments. They won't let us repeat it. If we're lucky, we will be alive, and captain Hobbs will be considered mad. We will be subjected to a trial, and I don't think we will win. If we're not lucky, we will be all dead, and the Argo will be destroyed!" doctor Lamar now was yelling. He looked at Tomak first, then at the captain.  
"I want to go through this experiment. I don't need help. I'll find another ship. Jono... don't think that I don't agree with your opinion, but I'm a scientist, and as a scientist I think I must verify my theories." captain Hobbs was now professor Hobbs, firm in his creed and in his opinions, "Ensign Tomak... I think doctor Lamar is right. I can't ask for your help and use you, as I might do with a device"  
Tomak interrupted him, standing up, "You're using noone!..." he sat again and calmed himself "... sir. I think you're only doing of your best"  
"I don't think so. I will resign by the Federation in one, or, at least, two days." he turned to commander Kell, and he shook her hand, "I think you'll be the next captain on this ship. My congratulations"  
"May I talk clearly, sir?" ensign Tomak asked.  
"All right. Proceed." Hobbs answered.  
Lamar intervened talking directly to Hobbs, and infinitely surprising Tomak, "You have no reason to leave, captain. I understand your reasons, and... I understand that my opinion should be considered logical, but... my words are the words of a computer. I am your friend. I will support you. And I hope that Aira Kell will accept to do the same, confiding in the fact that you will stop in time, if the experiment gets risky"  
Hobbs looked to Aira Kell. She seemed... perplexed. "According to my precedent reasoning, I must say that I have faith on you"  
-  
Ten days later, a violent explosion shook the entire spacecraft. When Hobbs entered the engineering room, it was full of fog, provoked by a loss of material by the Warp core. That fog could damage any organic life form. The captain called medical section, when he saw that Tomak and the two assistents were closed in the internal section of warp core, when the explosion occurred.  
"Tomak! Do you hear me?" the captain called the engineer with the communicator. He tried again, but, clearly, the Romulan couldn't answer.  
Lamar arrived only one minute later.  
"Have you tried expelling the fog by the primary unload module, sir?" the doctor suggested quickly.  
"The module doesn't work, Jono. The energy is feeble." the captain answered, "We must try to use the external door 1, I'm afraid"  
"I think it's too much dangerous, sir." the first officer was arrived in the engineering section.  
"Take your overalls. Opening in two minutes." Hobbs ordered.  
"On my mark." Hobbs looked at Aira Kell, and she returned his glance. "Magnetic lock... activated. Three.. two.. one.. mark!" The door opened, and the officers resisted to the force of the air that was unloaded in space. In the room there was only space vacuum. Hobbs closed the door and first walked towards the door of the internal core section.  
"It's still locked." he said, "Kell, is there any possibility that Tomak and the assistents are still alive"  
Aira Kell's voice answered from the commlink, "Yes, sir. There is 51.34 percent of possibility that they are still alive, sir"  
"Well..." Hobbs said, "Computer, reactivate life support"  
"Reactivating life support in 10 minutes." answered Computer's feminine voice.  
"Ten minutes?" exclaimed Hobbs, "Tomak and the other two maybe don't have 10 minutes! Why so long time"  
"The energy that warp core generator gives is the 40 of the normal energy." Computer explained.  
"How is it possible?" asked doctor Lamar, when Hobbs entered the med bay, "I cannot even make my instruments work"  
"I want you ready in engineering in two minutes, Lamar"  
-  
"Now I've made it." captain Hobbs unlocked the door of the internal section of the core, that was badly damaged by the fog. "Nex... help me plase. Draw on my three." he said, as he grabbed the extremity of the door, that was open only for a little.  
"Aye, sir"  
"One, two, three. Draw!". With Nex's help, Hobbs opened the door for a half.  
"Ensign! Where are you?" the captain asked, as he entered the section. The core was here, pulsing at the lowest speed. One of the two assistants, two Bynars, called friendly by the crew "Qad" and "Daq", was laying on the floor, at a small distance from the core. Doctor Lamar bended down near him, and rose his Tricorder.  
"The connection with the other Bynar has been broken, but... he seems still alive." he explained.  
"Tomak!" Hobbs called. A small door, the door of the System additional memories' module, opened, and the face of the young Romulan appeared in the slot.  
"Daq's down there. In the module, sir. I heard someone talking and I thought you were there, Sir." he said, as Hobbs helped him to stand up. The captain smiled.  
"Why Qad wasn not with you?" Nex asked.  
"For staying here there wasn't any risk, Sir. I and Daq were repairing another spoil, but I think this hasn't been a real spoil. We've been intentionally damaged by someone." Tomak answered.  
"Why you say this?" Lamar asked.  
"I understand this can seem strange, doctor, but in the internal section there was another spoil. We have three spoils. For the first, the probability that a tube connection breaks is of the 0.245 percent. For the second spoil, the probability that the core loses fluid is of the... 1.89 percent. For the third spoil... well the probability that a spoil occurs into the internal core section is... less than 0.01 percent, Sir"  
Lamar nodded, "Well, we've made a nice record!". Tomak smiled abandoning for a while the Vulcan-like behaviour.  
The Bynar Daq came out from the module and approached the chief of engineering. Doctor Lamar examinated him.  
"I don't understand why he is still conscious, and Qad is not." he said, "Anyway, Tomak, follow me in med center"  
Tomak nodded.  
-  
"Someone sabotaged us." Hobbs said to Nex and Aira Kell, in Main Briefing Room, some minutes later, "And in an evident way"  
"I can't understand why, Sir." Kell remarked, "Even the Federation, knowing our projects, wouldn't arrive to this"  
"I think that the Federation would stop us in a lawful way, Sir." Nex said.  
"Yes, I think so. But, Nex, who could take an advantage by damaging us?" Hobbs asked.  
-  
Tomak sat on the medical bed one.  
"You're all right, ensign." Doctor Lamar began examinating Qad, the Bynar that was still unconscious. "I don't understand why he's still in this status!" the Betazoid exclaimed.  
"Is the communicating module intact, doctor?" Tomak asked, approaching the doctor. The little device installed on the Bynar's head seemed intact. "Well, let me see..." the Romulan murmured, opening the device and uncovering the circuits, "Have you got a screwdriver?" he asked, lost in thoughts.  
Jono Lamar sighed, "I'm a doctor, not a mechanic!" he exclaimed.  
Tomak 'woke up', "Oh, sorry, doctor." he said, smiling, "I was... absent"  
The other Bynar gave Tomak a screwdriver, very worried for his colleague's status.  
-  
Jono Lamar entered the Main Briefing Room.  
"How's Qad?" captain Hobbs asked.  
"Tomak is repairing his communicating module. He said that, if that module is intact, the Bynar will be conscious. Without communicating to his native planet, and to the other Bynars, Qad's brain cannot work." Lamar explained.  
"Well." Hobbs said, "Jono... I understand that the warp-15 modified core is nearly complete, but I think it's better stop the project and go back to StarBase 92. What do you think about"  
"As a Betazoid, I sense only concern by you, captain, miss Bennett and Tomak. I don't deny I'm still sceptical about this project, but I think that, if we go back to Starbase 92, the Federation will know about our project and stop us. This is our last occasion." Lamar said, sitting near Nex.  
"I think that we must first alalyse the structrural integrity of the ship... three spoils occurred, and we don't know how many will occurr." Aira Kell explained.  
"Right. But let's hear the chief engineer's opinion." the captain ordered.  
-  
Captain Hobbs entered the sickbay, followed by doctor Lamar and commander Kell. Tomak was absorbed in his work, Daq was helping him.  
"Ensign, how is going your work?" Hobbs asked.  
Tomak was perplexed, and deluded, "I didn't find any anomaly in this communicating module, I'm afraid, sir"  
"Why?" Kell asked.  
"The explaination can be only one: the brain connection with the module is damaged." Tomak explained.  
Lamar seemed resigned. He went out of the room, and came back with a strange instrument.  
"What is the brain connection, doctor?" Hobbs asked.  
Lamar opened the instrument, and extracted a little diode. "This is the brain connection. We have to sostitute Qad's." he said.  
"How do you have it?" Aira Kell asked, eyeing the doctor suspiciously.  
Jono, a little embarassed, closed the instrument's slot, "I, Tomak, and the two Bynars, made some experiments about communication brain-to-brain"  
"And it worked!..." Hobbs asked, half smiling.  
"Well, yes, we tested this once, but... we cannot guarantee." Lamar answered.  
"I need my assistants. And, well, captain, they are friends." Tomak said. Lamar gived him that instrument.  
"Hey, what are you going to do?" captain Hobbs asked, seizing Tomak's arm.  
"I have to do something, sir. And Lamar will support me." Tomak exclaimed. Lamar, surprised, looked to Tomak, lightly nodding. "Yes, ensign." he said, finally.  
Hobbs passed a hand on his forehead and closed his eyes for a while. He nodded, too, "Proceed"  
Doctor Lamar switched on the life functions monitor for Qad, "Computer, vocal alert when critical"  
"We have 35 seconds, more or less, from the moment we disconnect the brain connection from Qad." Tomak said, looking seriously to Lamar, that was looking like one that knows that he is going against logic.  
"Why, someone has done this before?" the doctor asked.  
"I was talking theorically." Tomak answered.  
Under the communicating module, that was connected to Qad's head on a temple, there was a little cylinder, directly connected to the Bynar's brain. Tomak, very delicately, pulled out the cylinder. When he extraced it completely, Computer beeped and its feminine voice said: "Critical life functions: 10 percent of normal"  
Tomak looked at the cylinder, sighing, "I need the separator phaser on minimum power. Daq, move! Quickly"  
The Bynar ran away. "Tomak! Time is short!" Lamar warned.  
25 seconds.  
Daq came back, and Tomak separated the two halves of the module, and replaced the module.  
15 seconds.  
Tomak began welding the cylinder, but he had to do very slowly, or he would risk to damage it.  
"Ensign!" Lamar shouted.  
"Doctor! You must support the organic part. I think to mechanic and electronic." Tomak exclaimed.  
5 seconds.  
"Ok. Hypersleep capsule. Freeze... now." Lamar ordered.  
The medical bed 1 was now covered by a screen: the Bynar was in hypersleep.  
"Thanks, Jono." Tomak murmured, "I've not made it. We lost him"  
"I think we didn't lose him, Tomak. Continue welding." Lamar said, smiling. Tomak obeyed.  
"We have less than 5 seconds, ensign. When I put hypersleep off, you have to insert the module immediately, ok?" the doctor said. Tomak nodded.  
"Now!" Jono shouted.  
Tomak inserted the cylinder, and connected the communicating module. He made two steps back from the med bed.  
The young Romulan looked desperately to Lamar.  
"Computer, med bed 1 status." the doctor ordered.  
"Life functions stable. 100 percent of normal." Computer answered.  
Qad opened his eyes and stood up. He walked to Tomak.  
"How are you?" Tomak asked, smiling.  
"Only a bit of headache, chief..." the Bynar answered, forcing an eye-wink.  
Tomak laughed, "You learned humour! I can't believe it"  
"Now we have aboard a Bynar... who can use humour!" Lamar said, smiling to Tomak, "Fascinating"  
The captain shook Qad's hand, "Welcome back. We missed you"  
Qad was already communicating in high-speed with Daq.  
-  
"I agree with commander Kell's opinion, sir. We've to analyse the structural integrity of the ship." Tomak said, in Main Briefing room.  
"Good. Computer, structural integrity analysis." Hobbs ordered.  
"Analysis in 25 minutes." Computer's voice responded.  
"Why?" Tomak murmured, "Why so long time"  
"Computer is working in multi-tasking. Twenty-five processes." Computer answered.  
"Tell me the processes from the one that takes more energy to the one that takes less energy." Kell said.  
"First process: analysing main disk surface for possible errors. Second process: initialising DE process. Third process: calculating course for Gamma Eridani, our destination..." Computer was interrupted by Tomak.  
"Stop. Commander, it's terrible." the young Romulan said.  
"What?" Kell asked.  
"DE process.. Dial and Exchange process... someone is transfering our database from our Computer!" Tomak explained.  
"Computer, stop DE process." captain Hobbs ordered.  
"Cannot stop. You have no permission to stop a primary process." Computer's voice said.  
-  
"Captain, what do we have to do?" Kell asked, while the captain, she and Tomak were walking through the section 3.  
"Computer, how many time do we have before the transfer arrives to the secured section of Computer?" Hobbs asked.  
"Nine minutes fourty-four seconds." Computer answered.  
"Good." Steven Hobbs said.  
"Sir." Tomak stopped walking.  
"Number One, follow me in Advanced Programming Room. We're going to activate autodestruction sequence. We cannot leave those projects to... anyone who's scanning us." Hobbs decided, "Ensign, tell the crew this"  
"Aye aye, sir." Tomak exclaimed.  
A loud whistle introduced Tomak's communication to the crew.  
"This is ensign Tomak speaking for the captain. Abandon ship, all personnel. This is not a drill. All personnel, abandon ship. This is not a drill. I say again: abandon ship, all personnel. This is not a drill"  
-  
"Recognized Hobbs, Steven, captain. Recognized Kell, Aira, commander." said Computer's voice, when Hobbs and Kell put their hands on the panel, in Advanced Programming Room.  
"Set autodestruct sequence." Hobbs said, with resolute voice.  
"Does the first officer concurd?" Computer asked.  
"Yes." Kell confirmed, "Set autodestruct sequence. Now"  
"Autodestruct will detonate in four minutes fifty-nine seconds." Computer said, with a bleep.  
-  
Red Alert was given by the captain. All the crew - ten persons - was evacuated in two shuttles, and all the projects were saved in a data unit.  
But the captain seemed not wanting to go away.  
"I must stay here and discover what happened. Who's hacking our system." he explained to Aira Kell.  
"Sir, may I speak clearly?" she asked, with unexpressive voice. The captain nodded.  
But her voice wasn't so unexpressive, when she said: "Sir, I think that your project will die with you"  
Hobbs stared at her, "Do not worry. I won't die." He began walking towards the engineering section. Kell followed him.  
"Go away, Aira!" Hobbs said. She continued following him.  
"Who's the gratest codes expert in this crew?" Kell asked, rethorically.  
When Hobbs and Kell entered the section, Tomak and miss Bennett were there, at terminal one.  
"What are you doing here?" Hobbs shouted to them.  
Sarah Bennett turned, "Sir! Come here! They're Romulans"  
"What?" Hobbs asked, "It's impossible! Romulans are allies"  
"Did you introduce in their system?" Kell asked.  
"Nearly." Tomak said, "But I can't bypass this subroutine to free our computer"  
"Have you tried with a normal data routine with free permission?" Aira Kell sat at the terminal, "I need a more fast access..." she murmured.  
-  
"I have a positronic brain, madam." Nex appeared between the doors. He entered, and doctor Lamar was following him.  
Hobbs sighed. Tomak connected Nex's brain to the main Computer.  
"I need more power." Nex said. Captain Hobbs made the little power generated by the core converge to Nex.  
"Accessing!" Kell said. As she began introducing codes, Nex began trembling. Lamar examinated him.  
"He cannot support this speed any more!" the doctor exclaimed.  
"I try to reduce power frequency..." Hobbs said, "Better this way"  
"Yeah... but his positronic patterns are melting... " doctor Lamar said.  
As Computer said: "All processes terminated. Power at 100 percent.", Nex fell on the floor.  
-  
"Computer, deactivate autodestruct sequence." Hobbs ordered.  
"Does the first officer concurd?" Computer asked.  
"Yes. Deactivate autodestruct sequence." Kell answered, firmly.  
"How is Nex?" Kell asked to Tomak, as he turned to her.  
"He's OK. He's rebooting right now. I connected his brain to secondary patterns." Tomak answered. Nex stood up.  
He looked absently to captain Hobbs, then to commander Kell, "Did you make it, madam"  
"Yes, Nex. How do you feel?" Kell said.  
"Not too bad, commander. I have to restore some of my patterns and some of my memory units, but I can say that my life parameters are... good." Nex answered.  
"Sir! Come here, on tactical!" miss Bennett shouted. On the screen, a giant Romulan Warbird was deactivating his cloaking device.  
"We cannot win against a bird of that power, sir!" Bennett continued. The romulan spacecraft fired to the Argo.  
"Shields at 50 percent. They won't hold." Kell said.  
-  
"Ensign Tomak, The warp-15 core is ready?" Hobbs asked, while the Argo stopped rolling.  
"Yes, but... what do you want to do, Sir?" Tomak said, worried.  
"Engage warp 15!" the captain ordered.  
"Sir! We've not..." Kell began, but Tomak activated Warp-15.  
The time seemed to be frozen. Miss Bennett, that was standing on her feet, fell and hit her head. Captain Hobbs looked out of the window on his right. Stars were dancing in front of him, in colourful strips, and forming shining big heaps. "It's wonderful!" Hobbs exclaimed, but noone of his crew seemed to be hearing him.  
An eternity. Hobbs lived through an eternity. Infinite times he tried to stood up, and help miss Bennett, or walk towards the window. And infinite times he asked to himself: am I still alive? Professor Hobbs was making experience of his own unexperimented invention.  
The room swirled around Hobbs, and he felt that two pairs of hands were helping him to stand up.  
"Sir? Are you OK?" the worried voice of Tomak asked. Hobbs turned towards the Romulan.  
"Yes. I'm all right." Hobbs answered, smiling to Tomak and doctor Lamar, "A fascinating experience"  
"Without any offence, sir, I think I have more precise data then you. I can put them on screen." Nex said. Miss Bennett walked towards him and connected the android to the main monitor.  
"No offence, Nex. Proceed." Hobbs said.  
"It seems that the warp-15 core took us in a place... which is only one light year away from the place we were!" Tomak exclaimed, when many data appeared on screen, "Incredible"  
"Computer, what day is it today?" Hobbs asked.  
"Today is the 20th of September 2063." the feminine voice answered.  
"What?..." Hobbs gasped. Aira Kell rose her eyebrows.  
"We are in the day when Zefram Cochrane did the first warp-speed space flight." Lamar said, solemnly.  
-  
"Ensign Tomak, do we have enough power to do another leap?" the captain asked.  
"No, sir. The Romulans' shot dameged us very much." Tomak answered.  
"We must find some materials to repair the ship, sir." Aira Kell gived a pad to Hobbs.  
"Hysolinears modules... subnet patterns... who can have here those things?" the captain shook his head.  
"Zefram Cochrane!" miss Bennett answered, smiling.  
-  
"When we will transport on the surface, we have to ask help to Cochrane. We have only an hour to do this: after this time, Cochrane will begin warp-speed flight." Hobbs said.  
"And where's the risk?" Lamar asked.  
Hobbs eyed him with a mad expression on his face, "Where-is-the-risk? We could only make the whole Universe collapse, with a Space-Time Paradox"  
"How we could have a space-time paradox?" Tomak asked.  
Aira Kell changed the view on screen, and displayed an outline of all the possibilities.  
"Consider that all this is merely theorical." she said, "Anyway, we can generally have a space-time paradox when we meet ourselves in the past or future, or when we explain with many details who we are in a time different from ours, or when we cause a serious variation in the continuum"  
Nex intervened, "So we cannot give explainations, and for this reason we cannot meet the Vulcans that will arrive after the flight"  
"Great! And how we can convince Cochrane to give us the materials that we need without any explaination?" doctor Lamar asked.  
"We'll find a way." assured captain Hobbs.  
-  
"Daq, begin transporting sequence. Kell, take the helm, and I trust in your logic to take us aboard on my order, or interrupt the mission when you think it's right." Hobbs said, almost sadly.  
Aira Kell made a solemn nod with her head.  
Daq transported captain Hobbs, miss Bennett and Nex on the early Earth's surface.  
"There, captain, there is Cochrane's base." Nex indicated a place over the hills. The three members of the Argo moved towards it, and explored the zone.  
"Here we are, sir." miss Bennett entered the base, enthusiastic, "This is the Phoenix, the first warp-speed spacecraft"  
A loud hiss interrupted her, and a violent explosion shook the Earth. The ceiling crumbled, and Nex pulled away the captain.  
"Thanks, Nex! We've to go away!" the captain tapped his commlink, "Kell, beam us up"  
They now were in Transporter Room 1.  
"What... what were those explosions, sir?" miss Bennett asked, fearful.  
"An air raid. The bloody after-war on Earth, Sarah. But we're safe, now." Hobbs explained, reassuring her.  
Sarah Bennett nodded and went away from the room, while Aira Kell was entering.  
"Sir, we have no more time. We have only an hour..." the Vulcan said.  
-  
Ensign Tomak stood at attention when Steven Hobbs entered the Main Engineering Room.  
"Why did they attack us?" Hobbs murmured, "How did they know that we were doing those experiments? You must admit it's strange, Tomak. You were the only Romulan on this ship... and the chief of engineering"  
Tomak closed his eyes for a while, "As a logical person, sir, I must admit that an accusation against me is well-based. As a Romulan that is fond of his honour, I have to tell you, sir, respectfully, that you should know how I am, sir. And you should know that I would never disgrace the name of my family betraying the Federation!... sir"  
Professor Hobbs smiled and went closer to the young ensign, "I didn't truly want to accuse you. I just wanted to see your reaction, and... I'd like to see if you know something about a possible civil war, or disorder, on Romulus"  
"No civil war, captain." Tomak answered, "But there is a group of Romulans that abandoned the capital planet from more then a month. They agree with the Klingon moral, and they want to fight again for their territory"  
"Do you think that they could have attacked our ship, to have a more advanced - the most advanced technology in the whole Universe?" the captain nodded, perplexed, "Maybe yes, Tomak"  
-  
"Qad, Daq... how much time do we have before the captain goes on the surface again?" Tomak asked to the two Bynars.  
"Only ten minutes, sir." Qad said.  
"Ok. Let's hurry! Give me those two data units... the ones for the transporter, yes..." the Romulan said.  
Aira Kell entered the engineering room.  
"What are you doing, ensign?" she asked.  
"I'm trying to program Computer. In this way we could replicate the materials that we need, madam." Tomak explained, opening a slot and putting into it his Tricorder.  
"Interesting." Kell commented.  
"Madam, if you help me, I'll finish in half the time!" Tomak said.  
"Right." the Vulcan said, sitting to the consolle and beginning to programme the units.  
-  
"Sir, we cannot go on in this way! We have too few energy! The instruments in the med bay are unstable... and we cannot use the transporter!" doctor Lamar sat in the captain's office.  
"Jono, I'm going on the surface of the Earth, now. Don't worry, we'll find a way." Hobbs said, going to the door.  
"But if you arrive there during another air raid? Or, how will you explain your uniform?" the doctor asked again.  
"We already discussed about that, Jono." captain Hobbs tuned to him, "You don't trust on me, do you"  
Jono Lamar stood up and went closer to Hobbs, "Steve, you have to understand... you're a scientist, not a captain"  
Professor Hobbs suddenly smiled, and his face brightened. He grabbed the doctor's shoulders, shaking him, "And you're the best counselor I've ever met"  
The captain turned to his desk, then opened the doors and went away from his office, leaving Lamar really astounded, in the middle of the room.  
-  
Professor Hobbs entered the engineering section, and his crew stood at attention.  
"I heard about your idea, and it seems better then mine. Let's work!" he said.  
"You are saying that you are not going to the planet Earth?" Nex asked.  
"Yes, that's right, liutenent. Kell, work on him. Try to connect the positronic patterns using secondary channels. Tomak, I want you to modify the core for using the auxiliar and the bio systems' generator." Hobbs ordered, sitting at a consolle and extracting a memory from it.  
Aira Kell and Tomak nodded. The captain called miss Bennett.  
"Liutenent, I want you to traduce all the informations that we have about the Romulans' system. Maybe it can help"  
-  
One hour later, the captain was absorbed in modifying the warp core. Tomak was at the consolle, Hobbs was connecting the last wires.  
"Tomak, activate main core!" the captain ordered, standing up and making some steps back. Tomak activated the core: its 'pulses' seemed stable, but, fifteen seconds later, they accelerated to an incredible speed.  
"Sir, structural integrity 86 percent." Kell notified. A violent pulse shook the ship.  
"Captain, the Vulcan ship is coming." Nex said.  
Hobbs went up to miss Bennett, "What did you discover"  
Miss Bennett smiled, turning to the captain, "The program for the cloaking device"  
-  
"Kell, prepare two cells from the Holodeck and link them double-wired, crossed. Tomak, reverse the power of the polar inductor, in the core." Hobbs ordered. Doctor Lamar entered the room.  
"Jono, please, prepare a shuttle, with all the non-essential personnel of the spacecraft. I'm doing a dangerous experiment, here." Hobbs said, absent, absorbed in what he was doing.  
Lamar shook his head, smiling, "There is no non-essential personnel in this ship, sir"  
Qad and Daq helped Tomak to reprogramme the inductor. "We need your help, sir. The explosion damaged the left section of the core." the Romulan said. Hobbs went closer to Qad, and helped him.  
"Sir, the Vulcan ship is here!" miss Bennett shouted.  
"Kell, activate cloaking device!" Hobbs ordered. Commander Kell completed the linking sequence. The Argo evanished from the Vulcans' radar.  
-  
Hobbs entered his office and set at his desk. The door chimed: "Come." the captain said.  
Aira Kell walked to the captain, "I came for report, as you ordered, sir"  
"Core status, commander Kell." Hobbs ordered. The Vulcan rose her eyebrows, and switched on the captain's monitor.  
"The situation is relatively stable. We know that the core will remain stable to warp 11, but ensign Tomak said that we can't do a warp-15 leap." Kell explained, pointing to a technical outline on the screen, "The core will accellerate... to destruction"  
"What about restoring the mark-out technology?" the captain asked.  
"It may take too much time. And we haven't so much time. In a few hours, the Vulcan ship of ambassador T'Pau will arrive here, on Earth, to meet the Earthlings leaders. And the cloaking device, with a so powerful Vulcan ship, will be no use from us. We've not enough power." the first officer seemed deluded.  
Hobbs sighed and stood up, walking to the Vulcan, "Aira, I think we have no chance. We'll do a warp-11 leap, we won't go beyond time barrier, but we'll go as far as we can from here"  
"I think it's a matter of faith again, sir." Aira said, nodding, very expressively for a Vulcan.  
"Faith in who, Kell? We can only trust on ourselves!" Hobbs said, angrily.  
"Exactly, captain." Kell turned to the door, and went out from the office.  
-  
Jono Lamar entered engineering section. Tomak was bent on the floor, restoring all the core links, and the doctor thought it was a very hard work: the Romulan was linking some optical wires, of a thickness of not more then 2 mm.  
"Need help?" the doctor asked, bending near the chief.  
Tomak turned to him, lightly nodding, "Maybe I need the eye of a good surgeon, sir." he said, smiling.  
Doctor Lamar took the welding phaser and begun uniting the optical wires. "When will we do the next brain-to-brain communication experiment, doctor?" Tomak asked, nearly rethorically.  
"As soon as we can, Tomak. How is your telepathy practice?" Lamar asked.  
"Oh, well, I'm only a beginner. But commander Kell is a good master." Tomak answered, smiling, "Finished"  
"Me too." Lamar said.  
"Thank you for your help, doctor. Now, we can... hope in a good result." Tomak said, as Aira Kell entered the room.  
"Very good." the Vulcan said, "Now we have the 37.2 percent of probability that we can do a warp-15 leap"  
"It's a good probability, or not?" Lamar asked.  
"It's less then 50 percent." Kell noticed.  
The android Nex went up to the first officer, "Madam, I finished programming the leap subroutines"  
-  
As the captain entered the helm, commander Kell turned to him.  
"Ready for warp 15, sir." Kell said.  
"Yes." Hobbs said. He pressed the communication-to-crew button, and a loud whistle sounded in the ship's corridors.  
"This is the captain speaking to the crew. Now we will do a warp-15 leap. Just stay in a protected section, as the engineering or the sickbay, and do not walk in the corridors. Good luck"  
Aira Kell closed the communication and took the helm. Nex setted the route.  
"Well, Nex, taxi to runaway at your choice and hold short!" captain Hobbs said.  
The android turned to the captain, perplexed, "What, sir"  
"Engage!" the captain ordered, smiling.  
The light sense of vacuum around was back. The captain fell on his chair, and certainly the other members of the crew had the same feeling. On the screen, the stars were dancing, drawing in the sky colourful pictures. Suddenly, the ship stopped moving, and the unexpected movement 'woke' the crew. Hobbs stood up, and went closer to the screen.  
"Where are we, Kell?" the captain asked.  
"Stardate 5021.18. The same day we left, sir." Kell answered.  
A great sense of relief took captain Steven Hobbs. Doctor Lamar entered the helm, and the Betazoid's face expressed the biggest happyness ever.  
"We're home." Jono Lamar said. 


	2. It's Us or Them

It's Us or Them.

Antares was, from more than two weeks, the Final Frontier of Space exploration. It had been discovered only three weeks before, a new Solar System. New opportunities for discovering life forms. There was a problem: it was more then 10 light-years far from the Federation's sector. For long-distance travelling, the Federation entrusted the mission to the Argo, the fastest Spacecraft of the Starfleet, equiped (finally!) with a fully-functional Warp-15 core.  
"Sir, we noticed a strange phenomenon in this sector. It seems like a sub-time frequency." Nex informed Hobbs.  
"Really? Well, I'll ask to the Federation the permission to go and see what's happening down there. Anyway, our mission is more important, and I think..." the captain was interrupted by miss Bennett.  
A Starbase, the nearest Starbase to Volcano, was calling the Argo for a help request.  
"Strange." captain Hobbs said, "Normally, Vulcans don't ask for help to the Federation. What do you think about, Number One"  
"I think that it has to be a very serious and urgent situation, sir." Aira Kell answered.  
"Hailing Frequences, miss Bennett." the captain ordered.  
"Open"  
The face of an old Vulcan appeared on the screen. "Captain Hobbs... the damage caused by the Klingon ship is serious. Why you weren't here? We called you"  
"Klingon, you say?" Hobbs stood up, astounded, "Sir, Klingons are allies"  
"Captain Hobbs. I understand that you are a scientist. And I understand that your warp-9 core doesn't go as fast as the other Spacecrafts of the fleet. But, we are in war, and you can't deny it." the Vulcan said, nearly furious.  
"Close all frequences." Miss Bennett executed immediately.  
"Are they mad?" Hobbs asked to Kell. She winked at him, almost nodding.  
"Thy're calling us, captain. They ask help again"  
"Respond"  
"Captain! I don't know what's happening to you! But that ship is going towards Volcano! Help them! Please!" the Vulcan said.

"Space, the Events' Horizon. These are the voyages of the starship Argo. Its continuing mission, to explore the infinite minutes, the infinite realities or dimensions our Time is made of. To seek out new differences and new combinations. To go there... beyond our Future!"

"Liutenent Nex... set route on Volcano... warp 11. Engage!" Steve Hobbs ordered.  
"We will arrive to Volcano in one minute fourty-five seconds, Sir." Nex informed. Doctor Lamar entered the helm.  
The planet of Volcano appeared on the screen, as the Argo approached it. Or, when the Argo approached the place where it should have been. Because Volcano was destroyed, debris in the Universe.  
Hobbs first looked worried to commander Kell, native of that lost planet. She remained expressionless, even after seeing and after every confirm that Volcano had been destroyed.  
"Miss Bennett, call the Vulcan starbase. Tell the Vulcans..." Hobbs turned to the woman, "... Tell them we didn't arrive in time. Volcano has been destroyed. Noone survived"  
"Sir, private communication to you from Starfleet." miss Bennett informed.  
"In Main Briefing Room, please"  
-  
Admiral O'Toole's face appeared on the screen in Main Briefing Room. He seemed like he was bearing a heavy weight.  
"Admiral, I have to inform you that Volcano has been destroyed, very probably by a Klingon attack." captain Hobbs said.  
"Yes, I know. It's terrible. Why didn't you answer quickly to the Vulcan call, Hobbs?" O'Toole asked.  
"I answered when I received the message, sir. The Argo was going to Antares, for the discovery mission, Sir." Hobbs answered.  
"I don't accuse you, Steve. It isn't your fault. But, you have to understand, after the Earth, now Volcano"  
"What?" Steve muttered.  
"... You have all the reasons to be... upset, and the Argo isn't properly a war spacecraft"  
"Sir, what happened to the Earth?" Hobbs nearly yelled.  
The admiral's expression on his face expressed comprehension.  
"Steve, don't you remember?" O'Toole said, in a low voice, "The Earth has been destroyed three days ago, by the Klingons"  
Hobbs closed his eyes, desperately.  
"Hobbs, I advice you to go by your medical officer. O'Toole, Starfleet, out." the admiral said, with the same voice.  
Hobbs was still in Main Briefing Room when Aira Kell entered the room. Hobbs stood up and walked to her.  
"Kell, I'm sorry for what happened. I know that's my fault." Hobbs said.  
"You're not logical, captain. There was no way to save Volcano." the Vulcan said.  
-  
Captain Steven Hobbs entered the sickbay, and doctor Lamar eyed him suspiciously.  
"What's the matter, Steve?" Lamar asked.  
"Admiral O'Toole's advice." Hobbs said, "I think I'm becoming mad"  
"I see your morale very bad, captain." the doctor exclaimed, nearly smiling, "It's you or admiral O'Toole"  
Hobbs sat on med bed one, and Jono rose his tricorder.  
"Just think to the fact I didn't remember that the Earth had been destroyed." Hobbs answered.  
Suddenly, the doctor lowered his instrument, "What?" he asked, "The Earth"  
"Why? You didn't..." Hobbs looked to the Betazoid, surprised, "... remember? It cannot be a coincidence"  
"I didn't have this news. I never knew, and I'm all right, I can assure you!" Jono Lamar remarked.  
"All the officers in Tactical." the captain ordered, as he tapped his commlink.  
-  
"So, noone of you knew of the destruction of planet Earth, isn't it?" Hobbs said, after a quick discussion.  
Almost all the officers shook their heads. Aira Kell was perplexed.  
"How the Klingons had so much power to destruct the Earth and Volcano, the two main Federation centres?" she asked.  
"Tomak? Could you explain it?" Lamar asked.  
"Not so directly, sir. I can make some hypothesys. For example, I can deduce from the past alliances between Romulus and Q'onos that there is a new union." Tomak said, "But I can't understand why starships of a race called Andromeda were near Earth and Volcano, when they have been destroyed"  
"Computer, what do you know about the race of Andromeda?" Aira Kell asked.  
"Andromeda is a race that comes from Volcano, like Romulans. They distingueshed for their high brain ability and capacity. They worked for years to a computing system called Nex, that had the possibility of understanding human thoughts, and had the speed of a brain-to-brain connection"  
All the eyes turned to the android Nex.  
"... Andromeda, in this way, attracted two centuries ago, the interests of Klingon people, that used a blackmail to initial an alliance between the two people"  
"Stop." Hobbs interrupted Computer's feminine voice.  
"I can study the Andromeda systems, Sir. And I think that miss Bennett can study their language and behaviour." commander Kell said. Sarah Bennett was staring at the table, nearly crying.  
"Miss Bennett"  
Liutenent Bennett stood at attention, and turned to the captain, "Aye, sir"  
-  
"I really don't understand your experiment, doctor." Aira Kell said, laying on the medical bed 2.  
"Don't worry, commander. Tomak... I must admit he had an excellent idea. I will trace your brain frequences, and compare them to the ones in the Federation's archive." doctor Lamar explained, analysing the first officer with a tricorder.  
"Doctor, what are you going to prove in this way?" the Vulcan asked again.  
"We are not in our own reality." Jono said, lowering his instrument, "And I can't really understand how, and why. But there is the fact that Klingons and Romulans... for us had been allies, always, and, well, I can't understand, but what I feel is telling me that I don't know this universe"  
"You base your researches on what you feel? Only on your Betazoid sense, doctor? Are you sure it's enough"  
"I'm sure it is, commander. And now, I'd like to proceed." the doctor remarked.  
-  
Nex entered the captain's office.  
"Sir, I discovered very interesting facts, connecting to the Federation's database." the android said.  
"Go on." the captain said.  
"You can easily see the differences, Sir." Nex switched on the little terminal on the captain's desk, "In the database of the Federation, the Federation has been in war against Klingons and Romulans for four centuries. In our database, we are their allies from two centuries ago. In the the database of the Federation, the Argo, and the Enterprise, are war ships - and we know that it is not true. In the database of the Federation, I am a form of artificial life used for war computing. Sir, I am confused, because I am not a war machine"  
"Nex, did you discover something about the blackmail done by the Klingon empire to form a union with Andromeda?" Hobbs asked.  
"No, sir. This information is hidden in a blocked and private section of the database." Nex answered.  
"Liutenent Nex... who created you?" the captain stared at the android.  
"Lo Deneth, from an unknown place called Andromeda, Sir." Nex answered again. Perplexed, he added: "Sir, do you really agree with doctor Lamar's opinion"  
"Yes." the captain said, nodding, "Computer, on my screen all the informations about Lo Deneth, from Andromeda"  
"Search complete. Accessing." Computer said, with a bleep as confirm.  
"Ah, Computer." Hobbs remarked, and Computer bleeped again, "Compare all data on our database with the Federation's database"  
"Comparing"  
-  
Commander Kell opened her eyes and stood up, on med bed 2. Doctor Lamar rose his tricorder.  
"Are you all right?" he asked.  
The Vulcan nodded. Jono Lamar continued examinating her.  
Aira Kell approached the screen, and looked her brain pattern and Tomak's.  
"Well, doctor, what did you discover?" she asked.  
"Computer, on screen new and old brain pattern. Kell, Aira, commander." Lamar ordered. The two brain patterns were different.  
-  
"Steve, what do you remember about your dialogue with the old chief of operations, at the Vulcan Starbase?" Lamar asked to Hobbs, in the captain's office.  
"What, especially, you are talking about?" Hobbs asked, out-of-the-way.  
"A thing that surprised you, or attracted tour attention, or... anything!" Lamar explained.  
"That Vulcan was really furious..." Hobbs murmured.  
"What"  
"I said that the Vulcan was really furious! This is the only thing that surprised me." the captain remarked.  
"Exactly! Look at the screen, Steve!" Lamar indicated the two Kell's brain patterns, "This is the database's one. And this... this is the new one, that I registered twenty minutes ago"  
"Jono, the emotional pattern is... out of range!" the captain noticed.  
"Yes, Steve. According to this old graphic, Aira Kell is a very emotional Vulcan... probably like all Vulcans. And there is another thing that I cannot understand"  
"What"  
Doctor Lamar sighed, "Aira Kell doesn't remember that she had another brain pattern scanning"  
"How is it possible? Who did it?" Hobbs asked.  
"According to the Federation's archive, I did it. But I didn't do it, Steve. I'm sure, I controlled on our database." Jono Lamar said.  
-  
"We have all the elements we need to deduce that we are lost in another dimension." captain Hobbs said, ten minutes later, to all the officers, in Main Briefing Room.  
"In fact, Computer noticed a sub-time frequence, near the Vulcan starbase." Nex said.  
"Another dimension? What does it mean?" miss Bennett asked.  
Aira Kell switched on the monitor. Tomak stood up and walked to it, organizing to himself his speech.  
"A dimension is a reality, that we know as our life, a... scenario that we are part of. Dimensions are generally similar, for example, the one we're in has only some things different to ours: here, the Federation is still in war against Klingons, and Earth and Volcano have been destroyed." Tomak explained, "Thanks to an alliance with Andromeda, an empire in the 342 system, Klingons are capable of doing an action like this"  
"As Computer said, then." miss Bennett remarked, "How we can know more about the alliance and the war machine called Nex"  
"We have to meet Lo Deneth, from Andromeda, that lives alone on the 227 asteroid." Steve Hobbs said. Aira Kell rose her eyebrows.  
-  
As the Argo approached the asteroid, the captain ordered to Tomak to transport him, doctor Lamar and the android Nex on the surface.  
The environment wasn't very hospitable, so the three members of the crew located immediately the house of Lo Deneth.  
The wreck of a little shuttle was, actually, the more comfortable place on that land.  
"The door is blocked by a password. No way to enter." Hobbs said, as he exhaminated the pad near the door.  
"I can force the doors to open, sir." the android noticed.  
Jono Lexor grabbed Nex's arm, before he forced the door.  
"We can even try to ring the doorbell!" the doctor exclaimed.  
Captain Hobbs smiled and nodded, rising his tricorder.  
"No life form noticed. Strange, isn't it?" the captain remarked, embarrassed, "What do you sense, Jono"  
The Betazoid shook his head, "There is another empath, down there. He knows that we're here, because he's reading my mind"  
Hobbs knocked the door, and when it opened, a very old native of Andromeda appeared on the threshold. The infinite wisdom on his face impressed to the captain, that made one step forward.  
"Knocking the door has been enough." the Andromedh said, calmly. He looked to Hobbs, then to Lamar. The doctor seemed very nervous.  
"I'm captain Steven Hobbs, of the starship Argo. I come from the Federation of United Planets, and I need your help." he was someway interrupted by the strange expression of Lo Deneth, that was staring at Nex.  
"Nex... Nex, you came?" Deneth exclaimed, walking to Nex and putting a hand on the android's shoulder, "It's impossible... you abandoned this appearence many, many years ago... your appearence, the one I gave you"  
"It is a honour for me to know my creator, and my creative, Sir." Nex said, coldly.  
Jono went up to the Andromedh, and his voice wasn't cold, "Please, help us to find again our reality"  
-  
"Another dimension?" Deneth asked, perplexed, walking to and from in the shuttle, "Then, we have to suppose that the Argo from this dimension is now in your dimension"  
"We'd like to know about the alliance between Andromeda and Q'Onos, too." Hobbs said.  
Lo Deneth sadly laughed, "Alliance? It has been a blackmail, and no more! Andromeda had a king, one upon a time, that was kidnapped by the chief of Q'Onos. P'Ragh was the chief's name. P'Ragh threathened the Andromedhs, and told them that, without an alliance between the two people with their conditions, the king would have been killed"  
"And the Andromedhs accepted?" Lamar asked.  
"Yes, what should they have done? They were and are scientists, and no more. Now Andromeda and Q'Onos are powerful... more then the Federation. But they follow a different morale." Deneth remarked.  
"What do you intend for different morale, sir?" Nex asked.  
The Andromedh, smiling, walked to the android, "The Klingon follow the morale of honour and winning with any means. The Andromedhs are linked from a treaty, and an alliance. They follow the morale of duty"  
"I don't think we can talk about honour, with a so great and evident blackmail!" Lamar exclaimed.  
"But what are you going to do, now?" Lo Deneth asked.  
"We will prevent the alliance to be concluded." Hobbs answered, firmly. Lamar eyed him, worried.  
-  
"I cannot ignore the fact that it's my fault... the destiny of Volcano has been only my fault..." captain Hobbs said to his counselor, in his office.  
"I understand how do you feel. But, how you told me, even the Vulcan logic says that there was no way to save Volcano." Lamar assured, friendly.  
"We have to do something. Jono, follow me in Main Briefing Room, with the other officers." the captain said.  
-  
"Sir, I must officially protest for your decision, that is going to threathen the safety of the ship." Kell said, when the captain explained his idea.  
"Protest registered. Tomak, prepare core for warp 15." Hobbs ordered.  
"Sir, we're not part of this dimension. We must go back in ours!" the first officer exclaimed, calmly.  
"Don't you all understand? We're here, in the middle of a catastrophe... if we don't live here, the other Argo, the one in our dimension is doomed to this destiny! It's us or them, don't you understand? And I want to solve this unfair alliance." captain Hobbs said, solemnly.  
Doctor Lamar went up to the captain, "I'm with you, Steve. You can trust on me.". Hobbs smiled, while Tomak nodded.  
"Sir, you know that we must not interfere in the other times. Following your idea, you will violate the Prime Rule about Time Travelling, and I cannot let you do this." commander Kell remarked, and Nex nodded.  
"Do you want to raise him by command, madam?" miss Bennett asked, fearful.  
"If it is necessary, yes, liutenent." Kell answered, coldly, expressionless.  
Jono Lamar lost his temper, "And I oppose, commander Kell! I expected you to act as a friend, and forget those stupid rules! But don't forget that you need the permission of the crew, to raise Steve by command"  
"Quiet, Jono." captain Hobbs said, and doctor Lamar lowered his head, "You're both right. Kell, if we have the occasion, we must help people in trouble, and I must respect my own duties, the ones I really feel mine. But, it's true anyway that rules are made to be followed"  
"Sir." Aira Kell intervened, "I must admit that I cannot raise you by command. The crew is with you. Do of your best"  
-  
"Captain's Log - Stardate 5027.25 - USS Argo We're lost in a catrastrophic dimension, and, after discovering that we can avoid the distruction of planets Earth and Volcano with a time travel, mr Tomak is preparing warp 15. We will go in stardate 3556.8, and we will stop the alliance between Andromeda and Q'Onos, based on a blackmail.  
I have to register the protest of my First Officer, Aira Kell, that reminded me the Vulcan logic. I must admit that I don't understand her behaviour: we're going to save Volcano, too, her native planet... Lo Deneth gave us the outlines for dimensional travelling, we should modify the hysolinears subroutines, and hope in a successful modified warp-15"  
Captain Hobbs entered the helm, and Aira Kell left the captain's chair.  
"Warp 15, mr Tomak." he ordered.  
"Aye, Sir"  
The sense of not existing, and being only a spectator in an unknown reality, took the captain. Again, the stars made full circles around the human, and the room swirled around him as the Argo left warp-15.  
"Date, position, liutenent Nex." Hobbs asked.  
"We're in 3556.8, near the Klingon base P'Agh." the android answered.  
Steve Hobbs turned to commander Kell, "Convinced of what we're doing, Kell"  
The Vulcan didn't answer immediately. After a few seconds, anyway, "Humans make illogical decisions" she remarked.  
-  
"We will be quick and precise." the captain said to its away team, "We have to go in the prisons of the base, that are in this corridor, you see." he continued, pointing to a map on the tricorder.  
"That corridor is carefully protected!" miss Bennett remarked.  
"Yes." Kell said, "For this reason, someone of the away team must go in this other section, which is a control center of all systems"  
"Who will go there, sir?" Nex asked.  
"Volunteers?" the captain asked, moving his eyes from miss Bennett, to commander Kell, to liutenent Nex.  
"I am a volunteer." all the eyes turned confused to the Vulcan.  
"Madam, respectfully, I think I could discover the passwords in less time then you." Nex noticed.  
"I need you to the prisons, Nex. To force the doors to open." the captain said, then turned to Aira Kell, "Good luck, Kell"  
Commander Kell rose her eyebrows, and it seemed like she wanted to say something. She thought about it for a while, and, finally, she decided what to say.  
"Thank you, captain Hobbs"  
-  
"We have only half an hour. Energize!" the transporter took the captain, Nex and miss Bennett near the prisons' corridor, and left commander Kell in the control center.  
"Phasers on stun!" the captain ordered. As a guardian passed, the three hid behind the threshold of another room.  
Miss Bennett noticed that the rooms were very rudimentary, and many swords and strange Klingon weapons were hanging on it.  
"Come on, Kell... we have not more time..." Hobbs murmured.  
-  
Commaneder Kell surprised the Klingons as she transported in the middle of the room.  
"Intruder!" one of the Klingons exclaimed. Before the alarm was activated, Kell took her phaser and stunned the three Klingon guardians. She went up to the control panel and disengaged the supervision systems and the alarm systems. The prison locks were protected by passwords, and Kell began working on it.  
But one of the Klingons came round, and threw the Vulcan against the wall. Kell took a strange Klingon sword hanging on it, and faced the warrior, that was taking his weapon, to fight the Vulcan in a terrible duel.  
-  
"Supervising systems disengaged." Nex informed the captain.  
"Good. Come on!" the captain ordered. He and Nex stunned with the phasers the two Klingon guardians.  
"Miss Bennett, look at the prison register. Where is the Andromedh?" Hobbs asked.  
"Let me see..." the human read the Klingon register, and, after a minute, "In cell two"  
Nex rose his tricorder, "It is protected by password, Sir. But the Transporter shield has been deactivated"  
"We cannot wait anymore!" miss Bennett yelled.  
-  
Commander Kell turned to the door as the Klingon ran towards her from it. She resisted to a hit putting the sword in front of her, and she replied, aggressively. But the situation was precipitating: another Klingon was coming round, and taking a weapon to fight the intruder.  
Kell couldn't resist to two Klingons. The last thing she thought was that it wasn't very honorable fighting two against one, before she was hit by one of the guardians.  
-  
Kell woke up in the transporter room 1. The captain tapped his commlink and called the sickbay.  
"How do you feel, commander?" Hobbs asked, bending down near her.  
"My life functions are at fifty percent, sir." the Vulcan answered, "I've been hurt, but I'm quite all right, Sir." she added.  
"I thought I lost you. Welcome aboard, Number One." the captain remarked, helping the Vulcan to stand up and sustaining her.  
Doctor Lamar entered the room, with one of his assistents, a Klingon named Kurn.  
"Kurn, help me, let's take her in med bay. Don't worry, Kell, you'll be all right." the doctor said.  
"Jono, I need her in Main Briefing Room, and I need you too, in ten minutes." the captain ordered. Lamar nodded.  
-  
Commander Kell and doctor Lamar entered the Main Briefing Room. A young man was sitting near the captain: he was an Andromedh, the king of Andromeda.  
"I explained to her majesty that we will take him by his people, without asking anything for this." the captain said, "Jono, would you like to take him to his quarters"  
Jono Lamar nodded, and showed to the Andromedh the way.  
When Lamar was away, and commander Kell was sitting near the other officers, the captain's voice was more serious.  
"We have to go back to the future, I'm afraid. This is the plan: we will return in 5027.23 first, we will close the dimensional fracture that took us here before the other Argo arrives, then we will use the modified warp-15. Questions? Comments"  
"Sir, what is exactly a dimensional fracture?" miss Bennett asked.  
Kell showed her the tricorder she prepared.  
"A dimensional fracture " the Vulcan explained, "is a kind of door between two dimensions, that we cannot recognize only noticing a sub-time frequence. We can close a dimensional fracture only ejecting plasma and igniting it"  
"I don't understand, madam." miss Bennett said, shaking her head.  
"The fracture, in this way, absorbes energy and matter, and the frequence goes stable." Tomak explained.  
"Ready to go?" professor Hobbs' eyes were the eyes of a scientist eager to experience.  
-  
As the officers entered the helm, Daq informed the captain that there was a message from a ship of Andromeda.  
"On screen"  
The face of an old Andromedh appeared on screen.  
"I am Galed, of Andromeda. You aren't Klingons." the Andromedh said, surprised.  
"I'm captain Steven Hobbs, of the USS Argo, starship of the Federation of United Planets. We knew about the blackmail the Klingons did you, and we don't want that you are forced to initial an alliance." the captain said, firmly.  
"What kind of interest does the Federation have to take the King back?" Galed asked.  
"Nex, prepare transporter. Galed, with an alliance like this, the Federation would be disadvantaged." Hobbs remarked.  
"I understand, captain." the Andromedh said, smiling, "Thank you, anyway"  
-  
"Captain to engineering. Tomak, prepare warp-15 core." the captain ordered, after the King of Andromeda was transported to his people.  
"Warp-15 ready, sir." the android Nex noticed.  
"Engage!" commander Kell exclaimed. Captain Hobbs looked at her out-of-the-way, but smiling.  
The feeling of floating in space was back, and the stars were composing complicated pictures on screen. The room went upside-down, and the ship returned to normality.  
"Date, position, liutenent Nex." Hobbs ordered.  
"We are in 5027.25, near the dimensional fracture." Nex said.  
"Make the ship stay in a safe position. Captain to engineering." Hobbs ordered, as he tapped his commlink.  
"Tomak here"  
"Tomak, ready to expell the plasma and igniting it?" the captain asked.  
"Yes, Sir, I need..." Tomak was interrupted by a violent force that shook the ship.  
Even the emergency lights shut off, and Computer noticed that life support was feeble.  
"What's happening, Nex?" Kell asked, as the captain stood up and went up to scientific terminal.  
"The fracture is opening, and the force of attraction is taking the ship there. The sub-time frequence now is at the same level we met in the other dimension." Nex explained.  
"Tomak, expell and ignite the plasma!" Hobbs ordered.  
Another violent explosion shook the ship, that was pulled away from the fracture.  
"Shields at 30 percent! They won't hold, captain!" miss Bennett said.  
"The fracture has been closed, captain." Nex said.  
The captain sat on his chair, while Tomak called from engineering, "We've made it, captain"  
-  
Miss Bennett visualized on screen the Federation's database, and all the officers could see that the planets Earth and Volcano had not been destroyed, and even if the Klingons and Romulans were enemies, the Andromedhs were allies, and this was a great advantage for the Federation. In that dimension.  
"Tomak, how is your modified warp-15 project? We've only a few hours before the other Argo arrives." Hobbs asked.  
"I have to finish some links and some subroutines. But I'll finish in time, Sir." Tomak answered.  
Miss Bennett called the captain, and he turned towards her, "Sir, the Argo is arriving here"  
"Run in engineering, Tomak! Maneuver outline 4, Nex!" the captain ordered.  
"Outline 4, Sir." Nex confirmed.  
"Let me come to the helm." Hobbs said, and Nex left the position.  
"We'll hide in the debris of the explosion: ignited plasma. Tomak, I want full power to the shields, and full systems!" the captain said.  
"Sir, I can give you only fifty percent..." Tomak began, but Hobbs interrupted him.  
"I said full power! Kell, come here, in scientific position. Nex, go in engineering section, and help ensign Tomak"  
Nex went away, with a nod.  
-  
The ship began rolling, as it entered the debris of the explosion. Many lights exploded, and wires were hanging by the ceiling. The helm was bending by one side and by the other.  
"Kell, give me all instruments to hide. I want full precision for hiding just behind the plasma." the captain said.  
"Aye, Sir. Beginning programmed approach to the target." the Vulcan noticed.  
"Sir, ready for the leap!" Tomak's voice said from the commlink.  
"Ensign, we're gonna pass through the plasma, then full power to the shields, and... hold tight!" the captain replied.  
"Ready on helm." Aira Kell said.  
"Engage"  
It was like the ship squeezed on itself, then, went longer, dispersing in space. Then, a long tunnel appeared through plasma and space.  
"Hollow Formation!" Aira Kell exclaimed. "Sir, this will make warp-15 continue!" Tomak's voice from the communicator said.  
"Structural Integrity 50 percent decreasing." Computer noticed.  
Commander Kell ran to the helm's chair.  
"Sir, we have a choice of two: fire with the photonic torpedoes, then provoke an explosion to leave warp-15, or overload the warp core, then hope that in this way it leaves warp, or expell the core after the overload!" the Vulcan said, desperately. The ship collided to the Hollow Formation, and the ship began rolling.  
"Prepare photonic torpedoes and phasers... fire with all we've got!" Hobbs ordered.  
The torpedoes and phasers hit the wall of the formation, and the Argo passed through the fire.  
-  
"Date, position, commander Kell." the captain said, exhaustly, as the ship stopped rolling.  
"We are in 5027.25, eight light-years away from Antares, Klingons are allies, Andromedhs haven't been discovered, so far." Aira Kell said, expressionless.  
Hobbs laughed, "Very witty, Kell, my congratulations"  
Commander Kell stood up and walked to the captain, as doctor Lamar, Tomak and Nex entered the Helm. "I'm sorry, captain, I didn't want to be... witty." she said.  
"Then," doctor Jono Lamar began, jokingly "what do you think about humans and their decisions"  
"I learned one thing, working with you." commander Kell said, solemnly "Working with persons like you, I have to trust not on the highest probabilities, but on the lowest." 


	3. The Age of Empires Part 1

The Age of Empires - Part 1 

Jake1688 : Thank you for your advice. I'm italian, and I'm trying to make you understand very complicated things! Anyway, I'm trying to divide the stories in many parts, trying not to forget words.  
Allakimbo: Thank you for interesting in my story, I'd like you to keep me informed on your opinion :)

"Captain, I see strange data on my terminal." the android Nex said, perplexed. Captain Hobbs went closer to him.  
"A strange level of time frequences... a Time fracture! Red Alert! Shields on!" the captain ordered. A loud signal indicated the Red Alert.  
The ship began rolling, and the captain ordered the total stop. Jono Lamar entered the helm.  
"Something's coming out from the fracture, towards us!" Tomak shouted.  
"Phasers and photonic torpedoes ready." commander Kell ordered.  
"Wait!" miss Bennett yelled, "I have contact! It's a shuttle! Vulcan shuttle, class Shora"  
"On screen!" Hobbs ordered.  
"Captain, it has to come from... six centuries ago. The last Shora class shuttle has been used at that time." Kell informed.  
"Ray tractorbeam... engage on the shuttle and take it to the Shuttle Hangar 1." the captain ordered, and directed to the turbolift, but Jono Lamar stopped him.  
"Steve! And... if it's a trap?" the doctor asked, seriously.  
"Don't think so. The time fracture seems true. Come with me to the hangar, Jono, please." the captain answered.  
-  
The captain and Jono entered Hangar 1. Tomak was waiting the captain to unseal the shuttle and open it.  
"Proceed"  
The door lock opened, and all the upper section of the shuttle broke off. The captain observed amazed the person who was into the cabin: a boy.  
The child didn't seem so worried, and came out from his craft, walking towards the captain.  
"I'm prince Skeol, from planet Vulcan." the boy said, rising his eyebrows, and opening his hand in a Vulcan greeting, "I come in peace, to be an ally to the people of Earth"  
"Space, the Events' Horizon. These are the voyages of the starship Argo. Its continuing mission, to explore the infinite minutes, the infinite realities or dimensions our Time is made of. To seek out new differences and new combinations. To go there... beyond our Future"  
Hobbs glanced at Lamar, then "Live long and prosper, prince Skeol. We are honoured to have you aboard. Why are you here, prince?" he asked, unsure.  
"In the truth, there has been an accident on my ship, the Min'Shara. The warp core was exploding, and I escaped. I would be... happy, if you could help my crew. If they're still alive." Skeol said, walking to them.  
'A very young ambassador', Hobbs thought. "We'll see what we can do. Doctor Lamar will bring you to your quarters." Hobbs said, gesturing for them to exit.  
While Lamar walked through the corridors with Skeol, Hobbs went on helm.  
"Commander Kell," he said, "How is the situation"  
"The time fracture is closing, captain. What are we going to do?" the Vulcan asked.  
"We'll warp through time. A voyage in the time fracture would be too much dangerous"  
"Yes, Sir. Kell to engineering"  
"Tomak here." the Romulan responded.  
"Prepare for warp 15." Kell ordered, unexpressive, but with a nervous-like tune in her voice.  
"Aye, commander." he said.  
As she closed the communication, she asked to Hobbs to talk privately. Hobbs walked to his office.  
-  
"Captain, may I know the matter for this decision?" Kell asked.  
"On the Shora-class shuttle there's prince Skeol. Prince Skeol, don't you understand?" Hobbs said, walking to and fro in the room.  
"Yes, sir. Prince Skeol, 131 years old, was the captain of the ship who decided to meet Humans, after that Cochrane developed warp speed. He emerged from the Vulcan internal contrasts during the Age of Empires." Aira Kell said.  
"Of course. And if Skeol, one of the few supporters of earthlings, remains here... What will it happen to us?"  
Aira Kell didn't seem satisfied of this answer.  
"And what's the matter Kell?" the captain asked, sitting at his desk.  
"From the year you've proved the possibility of warping 15, captain, we're violating the Prime Directive and at least 20 federtion rules, and we're threathening the safety of the ship and of the crew, sir." the first officer said.  
"Sit down, number one." Hobbs ordered, and the Vulcan sat, "When I took command of the Argo, I knew it wouldn't have been easy for me and for the crew. I'm a scientist, I'm not an officer - as doctor Lamar likes to tell me - and I knew that I would have taken decisions hardly influenced by my will of discovering, to go on, to... explore. I wanted on my ship someone, in a command position, who can stop me and make me behave more logically. I knew it would have been hard work for him, so I chose a Vulcan. You. But when I found in front of me the possibility to explore not one universe, but infinite ones! And not one dimension, but infinite dimensions! Since that, I've had more difficulties choosing a logical way, Kell. And sometimes, I find difficult listening to you, too, Kell"  
"Sir, I..." Kell began, but Hobbs interrupted her, "Kell, if you want, take command of the ship. You can! Dismissed"  
Aira Kell stood up and directed to the doors.  
"Anyway..." Hobbs began, "Anyway thank you for disapproving me apart from the crew"  
The Vulcan went away with a nod.  
-  
Hobbs entered the helm, "Nex, prepare a safe route according to the Star charts of six centuries ago. Alert me when ready.", he said, sitting at the scientific position.  
-  
Lamar showed to Skeol his room.  
"This is a very interesting Starship, doctor," the Vulcan said, "I didn't know that humans developed a so advanced type of technology"  
The betazoid didn't know what to answer.  
"But you aren't human, are you?" Skeol added, turning to Jono, who smiled.  
"You seem to know humans very well, prince." Lamar said.  
"Yes, in fact, I know betazoids, too, very well." the Vulcan remarked, sitting on the sofa.  
"Prince..." Jono began.  
"Doctor." Sheol interrupted him, "Please, walk me to the captain"


End file.
